Safety appliance for railroad-cars.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.7, 1908.

the same time signal that a derailment has- JAMES '1. ANDREW, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed August 7, 1908. Serial No. 447,361.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns T. ANDREW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railroad Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to, be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to safety appliances for railroad cars and constitutes one feature of a double safety device, the other feature of which is' more fully described and articularly claimed in my co-pending app ication filed A ri122, 1908, Serial Number 429,785.

The object of my invention is to provide means actuated by the derailment of the trainto operate the air brake system and at occurred.

To these ends my invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combinationof parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will behad to the accompanying drawtot ing wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views and in which Figure l is an end elevation of a portion of a car truck with my invention applied thereto, same being partly in section. Fig.

.2, an elevation in section' of the back ofthe journal box looking-outward, and Fig. 3, a diagrammatic view showing in full lines means automatically actuated by derailment to operate valves of the Westinghouse air brake system.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the rails; 2,1 the axle of an ordinary car truck 3, the wheels; 4, the journal boxes; and 5, the ordinary pedestals of a car truck.

Secured to the journal box by means of stra s 7, is a safetyframe 8, which is secured lie pedestals by the slip bolts 10, and to the equalizer beam (not shown). In this safety'frame 8, is carried the safety roller 11,

the frame being dprovided with downwardly depending curve projections 12, forming an open cylinder bearing for the reception of the said roller, thereby forming in reality a cylindrical safety frame. The roller 11 is provided on its inner end with an integral collar 13, and on its outer end with a removable collar 14, there being a cotter pin 15,

hold the collar 14 in place. In assembling these parts, the roller is placed in the 0 en cylinder bearing, as shown, before the 'sa ety frame 8 is secured to the journal box, pedestals, and equalizer beam, not shown, and the cotter pin passed through the hole in the end of the roller provided for the purpose. When in place thisv roller will stand about three inches above the to of the rail, and the open cylinder being larger than said roller, will allow the same to rise about one half an inch should contact with the rail occur, and for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

On the car axle 2, between the wheels'3, is

placed a sleeve 18 made in halves, provided passing through the end of the roller 11, to

one piece. In either case the flanges 23 are more tapered than the flanges 24, for a urpose that will presently ap ear. ugs 19'serve to secure the haves of the sleeve together, and to make the same rigid with the axle 2.

Overeach sleeve 18 is secured two of the safety beam supports 25, and these supports are provided with the straps 26, encircling said'sleeve' and having the bolts 27 passing through the flanges 28 integral with said supports 25, the whole loosely encircling the sleeve 18 as shown.

Extending between the ournal box 4 and the wheel 3, is a plunger rod 35, passing through guides 36. This rod at the upper end 'actuates a plunger 37 which controls a valve in the casing 38, on the end of the pi e 39, which connects with the train line of t e air piping 40, which operates the brakes. This piping 40 is also provided with the valve levers 41, having the connections 42, with the levers 43, pivoted at 44 to the car body,- and extending into the path of the wheels .22-

for a purpose that will be presently explained. The safety and signal levers 43, are also providedwith the connections 45 leading to the lever 46 of the engineers and conduc- The - connections shown.

' a roller on one side of the truck'and a wheel 22 on the other sideof the truck moves toward the rails, and of necessity contacts therewith when the flanges of the wheel 3 have crossed the'rails and fall on the other side thereof. The lower contacting surfaces of both the rollers 11 and wheels 22 are so dis osed that they will strike the top of the ra s before the flanges of the wheels 3 reach the spikes or ties, so that the train for the time bein will be supported by reason of one of the rolIers 11, on one side, and one of the wheels 22 on the other side of the truck contacting with the topsof the rails. In the meantime, in the case of a derailment the trucks, and with them the safety wheels 22 are given a sharp twist, and therefore have a considerable movement relative to the car body, from which the signal levers are suported. Conse uently one of the safety brake and si na levers 43, which are pivoted to the car ody, is struck by one of the wheels 22, as it is carried to one side or the other of the track, the air brakes are ap lied, and the engineers whistle blown throug the When oing around curves the trucks also move feIatively to the car body, but not ,to such an extent as in the case of a derailment. Therefore, to prevent the levers 43 from being 0 erated in such cases, the are placed just 'ar enough from said whee s as not to be moved thereby, except in the case of the sharper turns or twists givlen the trucks when the wheels leave the rai s.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my safety appliance, it is evident that many changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the general form and arrangement of the arts without de arting from the spirit of the invention, and therefore I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details setforth.

What I claim is:-

1. In a car truck em loying a journal box, an equalizer beam an the usual pedestals, the combination'of a safety frame secured to said beam, edestals and box, and thereby adapted to old up said boxv in case of accident; a bearing in said frame; a safety roller in said bearing and smaller than the same and means controlling the brakes adapted to be operated by said roller in case of accident, substantially fdescribedi 2. 'In a car truck employing a journal box,

an equalizer beam and the usual pedestals, the combination. of a safety frame secured to said beam, pedestals and box, and thereby adapted to hold up said box in case of acci dent; a bearing in said frame consisting of an open cylinder; a safety roller, provided with collars 13 and 14, in said bearing and smaller than the same; and means controlling the brakes adapted to be operated by one of said collars on said roller in caseof accident, substantially as described.

3. In a car truck provided with the usual wheels and axle, the cbmbination of a s lit sleeve surrounding said axle; a pair of sa et wheels on said sleeve inside said usual whee s and provided with outer beveled flanges 23, inclined treads and flanges 24; safety frames ings; safety rollers in said bearings; means operated by said safety wheels for controlling the application of the brakes in case of accident; and means operated by said rollers for also applying the brakes, substantially as described.

4. In a car truck provided with the usual wheels and axle, the combination of a s lit sleeve surrounding said axle; a pair of sa ety wheels on said sleeve inside said usual wheels and provided with outer beveled flanges 23, inclined treads and flanges 24; safety frame outside 4 said usual wheels, provided with bearings; safety rollers in said bearings; means comprising levers operated by said safety whee s for controlling the application of the brakes, and sounding an engineers signal in case of accident andmeans operated by said rollers for also a plying the brakes, substantially as described 5. In a car truck provided with the usual wheels and axle, the combination of a split sleeve surrounding said axle; apair of safety wheels on said sleeve inside said usual wheels and provided with outer beveled flanges 23, inclined treads and flanges 24; safety frames outside said usual wheels, provided with bearings; safety rollers in said bearings; means com rising levers operated by said safety whee s for controlling the. application of the brakes, and sounding an engineers signal in case of accident; and means operated by said rollers for also ap lying the brakes, comprising a rod 35 provi ed with a shoe 49, and a valve substant ally as described.

6. In a car truck rovided with the ordinary wheels and ax e, the combination of auxiliary wheels and rollers adapted to retain and support the truck on the rails upon derailment of the ordinary wheels, and means controlling the" brakes adapted to be operated by said auxiliary wheels and rollers in case of' derailment, substantially as de-- scribed.

7. In a car truck rovided w h the ordina wheels and ax e, the combination of auxiliary wheels and rollers adapted to retaifland support-the triabk on theriiil upon v ln tes timony whereof, I affix my signs derailment of I thef ordinary wheels, and time, in presence of twowitnesses.

means .com rising levers operated b thev A auxiliar W eels andrbllgrs' for 'qontg lling JAMES 5 thg app iqation OfftlhQ brakes; and "sounding- I Witnesses: .an -engiqeers.sifinal1n case of derailment," 'T; AJWITHERSPOON,

substantlally as" escribed. R.-'M.PARKER. 

